ARUN SANKAR via Getty ImagesJayaram Jayalalitha, leader of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) state political party, addresses a campaign rally in Chennai on April 9, 2016.State assembly elections are taking place in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Pondicherry and Assam in April and May 2016. / AFP / ARUN SANKAR (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- The Election Commission yesterday issued show cause notices to AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK President M Karunanidhi for violating model code, saying their election manifestos do not "substantially" fulfil its guidelines.

The two notices, which has virtually similar wordings say that prima facie the manifestos of the two parties "have not substantially fulfilled the guidelines of the Commission".

The poll panel gave them time till 5 PM on 15 May to respond "to explain your stand for non-compliance of the guidelines of the Commission and also reflect the rationale for the promises made in your manifesto and broadly indicate the ways and means to meet the financial requirement for the same."

The Commission warned that if the two leaders fail to respond to the show cause notice, it will take "further appropriate action" against their parties without further reference to them."

The show cause notice is based on complaints from people regarding the election manifestos.